//New Computer Sales

Whatever your computer needs Geeks Are Us computers can meet or beat your expectations. We have built everything from SLI Video game based computers to ultra quite corporate servers. Need a new computer? Let geeks are us computers build you a modern ultra reliable computer system.

Below are some things to consider when purchasing a new computer system.

Think about what you plan on doing with your new computer now and in the future. Will your needs be mostly word processing, e-mail, surfing the internet or will you require a computer system with a modern video card to run games? How about scanning pictures or doing video editing? If these are things you might want to do now or in the future it is important to design your computer system around your needs.

Computer Case

Your computer case not only provides a place where all the parts of your computer are assembled but also what is cosmetically appealing about your computer. Cases come in all styles shapes and sizes from ultra small to truly huge. It is important to pick the case that is right for you. Also getting a case that matches the color of your monitor and keyboard & mouse is often preferred. There is a current trend to mod (modify) ones case with lights and accessories. This can be a wonderful way to add some personal touches excitement to your computer. On another note computers can also be quit noisy, there are a number of options available for making nearly silent computer systems. Your case does have a factor in how much noise your computer will produce.

Processor

The speed of your microprocessor determines how fast your computer will process instructions directed to it by your operating system. If you have a slow CPU your computer will be less responsive. While this doesn't mean a lot when writing a document or surfing the internet, some other application might require more processing power. It is always better to have more than less when it comes to your CPU. A modern CPU in the two gigahertz range or faster is fine for today's applications. When planning for the future one should consider a CPU with at the very least three gigahertz in speed.

Motherboard

This component is often the most overlooked part by inexperienced computer purchasers. Motherboards are not all created equal; in fact it is the exact opposite. This component is the part everything gets plugged into. Your future expansion and your ability to upgrade is often hinging on this one part. This is also one of the few parts that tend to fail in cheaper computers. If your motherboard dies you are often buying a new computer. A couple of years down the road things will have changed and your old motherboard will not be in production anymore getting a replacement is often a hard task. The older a computer becomes the more important having a good motherboard can become. More reliable motherboards have been known to last longer than the cheaper style of boards. A reputable motherboard manufacture will provide regular updates to the BIOS (internal programming) built into the motherboard. This allows your motherboard to have future compatibility with new technologies.

Memory

This is where your applications run after being pulled from your hard drives storage area. The more memory your computer has the better. Most modern computers have from 512 Mega Bytes to 1 Gigabyte of RAM. When purchasing a PC your motherboard is the limiting factor as to how many expansion slots you have for adding more RAM later. Not all RAM is created equal, there is varying qualities of RAM.

The secret when getting ram is to spend a little more on the quality as well as the quantity. Such things as RAM timing and size can determine how well a modern computer game or demanding application will perform in your new system.

Hard Drive

Data storage is an important consideration when purchasing a computer. How much space is enough? Hard drives are currently in the Gigabyte Range. Most modern computers have 80 plus gigabytes for internal storage. While this might seem like a lot one can run out of space quickly depending on what they are doing with there computer. Depending on the number of users on the system and the types of files stored on the hard drive 80 Gigabytes might not be enough. A lot of people are purchasing hard drives in the 120 to 160 Gigabyte range. Fear not, for you can put more than one hard drive in most modern computer systems. Up to three hard drives and one CD-Rom drive can be placed in most computer systems.

Optical Drive

Most computers come with a CD-ROM now days. Most programs still come on the CD-ROM format. A CD-ROM Writer ("CD Burner") is also an option it allows you to store data on a CDR recordable media for backup purposes. A lot of people are buying DVD-Writers ("DVD Burner") instead of CD Writers. There price has become very reasonable and each DVDR can store roughly the same amount of data as six CDR's.

Video Card

This is an essential part of the modern pc. With so many applications on the market that require a good video card it is important to get the video card that suites your computing needs now and in the future. Video cards have a number of options on them that makes them faster it is easy to get confused over what type and configuration to get for your pc. To make matters simple at least 128 mb of ram on your video card is minimum now days for a lot of games. Even a casual computer gamer should consider spending a little extra on their video cards.

Warning...a lot of computer manufactures are into the current trend of selling low cost computers with video cards built into the motherboard. We wouldn't recommend this option for it slows down existing computers substantially. Built in video steals resources from you RAM and your CPU. This slows down your computer, making running any video intensive task quit painful. A lot of Dells and other proprietary computers use built in video to save money. This and a lack of expansion slots for adding a video card later can greatly limit your future computer upgrades.

Sound Card

A lot of good motherboards are now coming with built in sound. While a couple of years ago I would not have recommended this, the new built in audio is quite good. Unless you have a professional sound application are a real music hobbyist or play computer games the built in sound system is highly adequate.

Monitor

Your monitor is your direct interface with your computer. The bigger your monitor, the better. Most modern pc's have at least a 17 inch monitor. If you are going to be creating graphics, playing games or doing video editing the quality and size of your computer monitor are important issues to consider. Monitors comes in two design types right now LCD and CRT. CRT is the old bulky design and takes up a lot of desk space. Where LCD is the more modern style and takes up less desk space.

Keyboard and Mouse

It would be difficult to operate a computer without these two devices. There importance is often an after thought. A good keyboard and a responsive mouse can make a big difference. If you are planning to use your computer a lot, some careful consideration to your keyboard and mouse will make a huge difference. Also, not all mice are created equal. Some mice are better than others...if you're a computer gamer you can gain an extra edge over the competition with a more accurate mouse. The optical sensors inside the mouse have a bearing on how accurate and responsive your mouse is. Careful consideration should be made if you plan on being competitive in online gaming.

Printer

Today's inkjet printers are very inexpensive to purchase yet it is the consumables (replacement ink) that cost the money. If your not going to print any real volume with your printer then an Inkjet is the way to go. If you require an office printer we would recommend a Laser Printer. Laser printers often cost more than an Inkjet but the consumable costs are way less in the long run.

Scanner

An inexpensive accessory now days if you have a need to input graphics into the computer or do OCR (optical character recognition) work. Prices will vary but entry-level scanners are more than adequate for today's average user.

Operating System

Your operating system is what give you the ability to actually use your comput...it's the basic program that lets all your hardware and software interact with each other. Now days a lot of people are using Microsoft Windows XP. This operating system comes in three versions, XP Home, XP Professional and XP Media Center. Windows is a wonderful operating system that allows the user great accessibility to a wide range of applications. While Windows XP Home is sufficient for the average user, the Windows XP Professional edition is slightly more robust and offers a few extra features. If you are looking to build a home entertainment center the Windows Media Center Edition is the way to go.